WA weekly cattle summary

26 June 2015

Supplies ease after welcome rain

Rain across most areas gave producers welcome relief, with coastal areas receiving in excess of 50mm and eastern zones down to around 25mm. Cattle supplies eased slightly with pastoral heifer and cow supplies very strong.

Quality remained mixed with the improvement in the condition of pastoral drafts continuing this week at Muchea. Trade young cattle remain limited in number and were mostly grain finished. Competition continued at strong levels and included improved live export activity across all young categories with prices firm on both steer and heifer drafts. Cow and bull sales to processors lifted slightly with the exception of lighter weight pastoral cows which were available in larger numbers. Bulls suitable for the live export trade remained firm with both feeder and live exporter activity.

Prices rise on tighter numbers

Prime trade cattle supplies remain limited with most cattle yarded grain assisted drafts. Prices were firm to dearer with trade steers selling between 280¢ and 330¢ and trade heifers sold from 260¢ to 322¢ /kg. Heavy and grown local steer drafts made from 230¢ to 308¢ and grown heifers sold between 160¢ and 291¢ /kg.

Store steer prices were again very strong with local steers between 285¢ and 340¢/kg. Pastoral steers made 208¢ to 290¢/kg and were dearer on quality. Reasonable supplies of local heifers eased marginally in price at both Muchea and the southern markets with most sales between 260¢ and 300¢/kg. Large supplies of pastoral heifers at Muchea continued to sell at dearer prices between 200¢ and 290¢/kg for the majority.

Cow prices were mixed with the lighter weight and conditioned drafts easing due to supply and better cows regained some of last week’s drop. Heavy D3 and D4 cows and better medium weight cows lifted 6¢, to sell between 165¢ and 236¢/kg. Light weight cow drafts sold from 100¢ to 169¢/kg. Bull prices remained firm on the processor categories with most between 160¢ and 210¢/kg. Better young and lighter weight bulls suitable for live export remained firm with most prices between 200¢ and 330¢/kg.